Air motor



G. S. HULL Sept. 5, 1933.

AIR MOTOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 23, 192B INVENTOR. @e fg@ 5, /7/// ATTORNEY G. S. HULL sept. s, 1933.

AIR MOTOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 25, 1928 INVENTOR. afy

I A TTORNEY atented muren STATES P'Arr-Nr oFF-lcs AIR Moron George S. Hull, Tulsa, Okla., assigner, by direct and mesne assignments, of one-third .to Irwin E. Winsor, one-sixth to 0. W. Yates, and one-` sixth to L. M. Freeman, all of Tulsa, Okla.'

' Application June'23, 1928. Serial No. 287,819

2 claims. (ol. 121-157) My invention relates to air motors and more particularly to devices of that character for pumping wells; the principal object of the invention being to provide a motor operable by a fluid 5 pressure medium, such as air, which may be located in the bottom of a well for direct operation of a plunger or like pump and wherein direction of liow of the pressure medium is automatically reversed at opposite limits of travel of the pump plunger.

It is also an object of the invention to pressure balance the ow reversing elements of the motor to facilitate their operation under the extreme pressures necessary for operation of the motor in connection with. pumps of larger capacity employed in deep wells.

In accomplishing thes( objects l'. have provided the improved details i stjncture hereinafter described and illustrated iii the accompanying drawings, wherein: v Y

Fig. l is a vertical section of an oil well equipped lor pumping with a motor embodying my invention; the well casing being broken away to illustrate the motor.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, central, longitudinal vsection of the upper portion oi the motor showing the pistons at their upper limit of travel and the valves in position for admitting air above the pistons.

Fig. reversed.

3 isa similar View, showing the parts Fig. 4 is a similar view of the lower end oi the motor, particularly illustrating a guide head for the motor piston rod andits universal connection between the motor and pump piston rods.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the irregular line 5-5, Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the extreme lower end of the motor.

Fig. 'l is a cross section on the line 7-JI, Fig. 2, illustrating ,relation of the inner and exhaust ports to the lupper primary valve.

Fig. 8 is a cross section on the line 88.of Fig. 2, illustrating the motor means for shifting 'the primary valve.

Fig. 9 is a cross section on the line 9--9 of Fig. 2 illustrating the shifting valve for controlling the operation of the motor means. Y f

Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of the shift' ing valve and camrod actuating mechanism.

Fig. 111s Fig. 3.

Fig. 12 is Fig. 4.

Referring a cross section on the line 1 1-11,

a cross sectionon'theline 124-12,

. and from the motor.

1 designates an oil well, leading through' cap'` rock 2 to a shot hole 3, and 4. the well casing having a shoe 5 supported in the cap rock and a casing head 6v provided with a flow line 7,v in accordance with common practice.

Suspended from an air tight iittingl 8 on the casing head is anr air supply tube 9 which extends through the casing to near the bottom of the well, and extending through the Iitting 8 and tube 9 is an air exhaustpipe 10. A line 11 leading to the tube 9 through fitting 8 may supply air under pressure from. any suitable source (not shown); the supply line 11 and eX- haust pipe 10 being provided respectively with valves l2 and 13 for controlling flow of air to' The tube 9 is of substan tially less diameter than the casing 4 to provide space for outlet oi oil through the casing about the tubing and the pipe 10 is of substantially less diameter than 'the tubing t'o provide space for supply of air to the motor aboutthe pipe.

Referring to the motor; 14 designates a cylindrical head or valve block provided with an annular extension 15 forming a chamber 16 and interiorly screw threaded to receive threadson the lower end of the vtubing for suspending the motor, of which the head forms a part, and having'a boss 17 extending outwardly rom the base 18 of the chamberv and provided with a socket 19 into which the lower end of the eX- haust pipe 10 is threaded. A valve chamber 20 at the bottom of the socket communicates with a transverse valve chamber (presently described) through aport 22; a ball valve23 connedin the chamber by a cross bar 24 controlling the port 21.

Suspended from the head 11i 'is a cylinder 25, formed in sections, yhere shown as three in number-25A, 25B and 25C, with a terminal or coupling section 25D at its lower end, the klatter connected through a reducing coupling 26, with a packer 27 which is set in the. casing near the bottom of the well. Leading from the bottom of the packer is a liner `2i?) which connects with a pump barrel (not shown), containingaplunger (not shown) operable by a rod 29, which extends through the packer and reducing coupling into the coupling section 25D offthe motor vcylinder and is thereiconnected with the motor piston rod 30 by a universal, adjustable coupling preierably including a socket 31 for the ball 29 on the pump rod and a sleeve 32 interiorlythreaded on the motor` piston rod and exteriorly threaded onto the socket 31 so the rods may be adjusted relative to each other by manipulation of the coupling members. 'With such arrangement, when the Vmotor piston rod is reciprocated, the pumpis operated to lift oil through the packer into the reducing coupling and lower section of the motor cylinder, through ports 33 and 34 in the coupling and cylinder into the well casing and up within the casing to discharge through the flow line at the top oi the weil.

The motor piston rod extends continuously through all oi the cylinder sections and through the partition blocks 35A, 35B and 35C which separate the sections (and through stuffing boxes 35 on the partition blocks) and carries pistons 37, one or" which is located in each of the cylinder sections.

Referring iirst to the piston in the upper cylinder section, because a description of it will apply to all of the others except for certain flow reversing elements which will be mentioned, and for the further reason that it is by means operated by this piston that direction oi ow oi the motor operating air is reversed:' 37 designates a piston threaded onto the motor piston rod 30 and held in adjusted position thereon. by a lock nut 38, the periphery or the piston being providedwith a sealing ring 39 in accordance with common practice.

The rod 3o extends upwardly for a short distance above the piston and threaded onto this extension is an inverted cap 4o having downwardly and inwardly disposed ports 4l in its side wall communicating with downwardly and inwardly inclined ports 42 the motor piston rod, leading to a channel 43 provided in the rod for purposes presently described. Retained on the end of the rod 3o by the top of the cap 4o is a disk 44E-having a square opening Extending through an opening 4e in the top of the cap, and through the square opening 45 in the disk 44, into the channel in the piston rod, is the square shanl7 47 of cani rod 49 which extends throughout substantially the length of the piston chamber and has haii turns or twists .5G- 5l near its top and bottom forming cams or worms adapted for cooperation with the disk 44 on the piston for turning the cam rod when the piston reaches the respective ends oi the chamber.

As the cam disk must be operated only at the nal limit of its movement in either direction, l'. have provided for idle movement of it over the twisted sections or 5l oi rod 49 upon either up or down movement of the piston by mounting it loosely in the cap 4o and providing it with ears 44A--44B which extend from the periphery of the disk at diametrically opposite points and are adapted for stop engagement with lugs 40A- 4`0B onv the inner periphery of the cap 40. With this arrangement whenY the piston 37 starts up from the position illustrated in Fig. 3, the disk is turned contra-olockwise by the twist 5l at the bottom of the rod until, at the end of the twist, the ears are located adjacent the lugs on the cap. The disk then slides idly over the straight part of the rod and when the upper twist is reached is held by engagement or" the ears with the lugs and causes the rod 49 to turn for the purpose presently described. On return or downward movement of the piston the operation isreversed, the rod being given a haii turn clockwise as the piston reaches the bottom of its chamber.

The Vcam rod 49 extends through a stufiing box 52 on ther bottom of the cylinder head 14 into a transverse chamber 53 in the head and has a cam 54 on its upper end rotatable within the chamber 53 in a fixed plane determined bycontact of the cam. with the bottom of the chamber and a collar 55 pinned to the rod at 56 and bearing against the bottom of the stuling box.

The cam 54 seats in a slot 57 in the bottom of a cylindrical shifting valve plug slidable in the chamber 53 and having a longitudinal groove 59 in its upper face adapted for connection with either oi the ports 5o or el. leading to opposite ends of a chamber e2 in tice cylinder head according to positions oi the s ting valve plug, a central exhaust port 63 providing constant communi-- cation between the groove 59 the chamber 62.

Slidably located within the chamber is a motor means 64 having a reduced central portion 65 forming a passage-way through the cl'iainber from port 63 to a port 66 which provides communication between the chamber 52 and a primary valve chamber 67. Y

Slidably located in chamber 67 for sliding movement is a primary valve plug 63 adapted to alternately cover and uncover the port G9 of a channel` 70 leading throughl 'the cylinder head tothe upper portion oi the 'sten chamber (Fig. 5) above the piston 37 or the port 7l leading through a channel 72 to a cor-.dul 73 opening to the port 74 or a channel 75 in the partition or block 35A opening to the lower portion or" the piston chamber below the piston 37. o8 a link integrally connecting the valve motor means 64 and valve 68 for shifting the valve 68 when the motor means 54 is reciprocated as will presently be described.

Eorts 75 and 77 provide communication between opposite ends of the primary valve chamber 67 and the chamber in the top ol the cylinder head to which pressure medium for operating the motor is delivered through the tubing 9. Channels 78 and 79 provide constant communication between corresponding ends of the primary and shifting valve chambers 67 and 53 through thevports 76 and 77 with the main receiving chamber for admitting pressure medium equally to both ends' of the shifting valve chamber and thereby balancing the shiiting valve plug so that work or" the cam is limited to that required for overcoming weight oi the valve friction oi its housing.

The primary valve plug 68 is likewise balanced because or constant communication between the chamber l67 and the main receiving chamber through ports 76 and 77.y

Irrespective of the number of cylinder sections employed, the motor piston is adiuttably connected with the pump piston rod 'to ine the stroke of the pump piston, preferably the coup1ings29l-B2, in combin guide head S0 threaded onto the motor piston rod and having a vertical edge peripheral groove 8l seating a spline 82 on the inner wall of the cylinder section 25D.

With the parts constructed as described, and for the present disregarding the additional motor cylinder sections, the pump and motorpiston rods are adjusted for a desired pump stroke by manipulation of the threaded coupling, the guide head keyed to the motor cylinder section to maintain the adjustments and the pump and motor parts, with the packer, let into the well on the end of the tubing.

Assuming that the piston 37 is at the bottom of its cylinder chamber,the shifting val-ve 58, motor means 64 and primary valve 68 will be in the position illustrated in Fig. 3. .With the parts in this relation, air is admitted through the supplyl line l1 and, passing down through the tubing, enters the opposite Aends of the prition with va ilo "5 the primary valve plug, so

mary valve chamber 67 through the ports 76 and 77, balancing the primary valve plug 66, and passing through the channels 78 and 79 to opposite ends of the chamber 53, balances the shifting valve plug 58. open to the right-hand end of the primary valve chamber 67, provides a line of communication through the port 77, the primary valve chamber, channel 73, ports 74 and channel 75 to the lower end of the piston cylinder, so that pressure is built up in the piston cylinder beneath the piston for lifting the piston.

As the' piston starts to rise, the disk 44, within the cap at the topk of the piston, is turned, idling on the lower twisted portion of the rod 49. As the piston reaches the top of its chamber and engages the upper twisted portion of rod 49, the disk is locked by engagement of the ears 14A- 44B with the lugs 46101-403 and the rod is turned to move the shifting valve plug 58 to the right-hand end ci its chamber, covering the port 6l and uncovering the port 60, thereby establishing communication between the left-hand end of the chamber 62 and the corresponding end oi the shifting valve chamber, so that air is admitted to chamber 62 back of the plug, for shifting the plug, shifting of the shifting valve plug 56 opening the right-hand end of the chamber 62 to the groove 59 in shifting valve plug 56, through the port 6l, to relieve the chamber and permit shifting o the secondary value plug 64, the exhaust air passing through port 63, around the reduced portion. 66 of the motor means 64, through port 66, around the reduced part of the primary valve plug 68 and out through the valve port 22 to the eX- haust pipe 10. When the motor means 64 is shifted to the right it carries the'primary valve plug 68 with it, uncovering the Aport 69 at the left-hand end of the chamber 2i, so that air is admitted to the top or the piston chamber through the channel 7o, movement of the primary valve plug to the right exposing the port 7l Vto the space about the reduced portions of Vthat the lower portion of the piston chamber may exhaust into said space-and thence through port 2:2 tothe exhaust pipe. v v

When air is admitted to` the 'top of the piston chamber under these conditions the piston is moved downwardly, lowering the pump piston; similar successive operations of the valve mechanisminducing reciprocation of the pump piston or pumping the oil. n

Upper portionsvof successively lower sections of the pump cylinder are supplied with air through the channel 43 of the motor piston The channel 73, being I to reciprocation of the rod and ports 83 leading from said channel through lock nuts 84 on the rod 30 above the respective pistons. Lower portions of said successively lower cylinder sections are supplied with air through branches 85 of the channels 75 in the respective partitions A, etc., and conduits 86 leading to ports 74 and channels 75 in said partitions, so that air admitted to the right-hand end of the primary Valve chamber is distributed simultaneously to all of the several motor piston chambers.

Elevation of the oil through the casing may be facilitated by delivery of part of the exhaust air from pipe 10 into the space between the tubing and casing near the top or the well. Consequently I prefer to provide the with an upturned nozzle 87 through which the air, lexhausting through pipe lo, may be diverted into the oil for aerating the oil, to assist in its delivery from the well.

What l .claim and desire to secure' by Letters Patent is: l

1. In combination with a power cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a head on said cylinder in substantially concentric relation with the mechanism in said headA cylinder, primary Valve for directing now of fluid pressure medium alternately to opposite ends of thecylinder, and

vmeans for directing flow of said pressure medium for actuating said primary valve mechanism including a reciprocating valve member transversely slidable in said head, an axially pivoted rod operably connected with saidr valve member and extending through and reversely Voperable by said piston at opposite ends of the piston stroke. l

2. Apparatus of the character described including a cylinder, a head on the cylinderhaving parallel primary valve, motor means and shifting Valve chambers in transverse relation er, a primary valve, a motor means and a shifting valve inthe respective chambers, a pressure medium supply conduit having branches leading progressively through the primary, shifting valve and motor means chambers, an exhaust conduit communicating with the chambers, a piston in the cylinder, conduits leading from the primary valve chamber into said cylinder above and below the piston, and means operably connecting the piston and shifting valve for shifting said last named valve in response piston to effect actuation voi the motor means and primary valve for alternately directing said medium to opposite ends ofthe piston.

GEORGE Sp. HULL.

pipe 10k to the cylinder and arranged one above the oth- 

